Union’s Three-Goal Second Period Lifts Dutchmen Past Brown, 4-2

Jan 29, 2011

SCHENECTADY, NY – Junior leading scorer Jack Maclellan (Calgary, ALB) scored his 14th goal of the season to tie the score at 1-1, but #12 Union (18-7-3, 10-3-1) answered with three straight goals, including two in a span of 1:04 to earn a 4-2 win over the Brown men's hockey team (7-10-4, 5-8-1) on Saturday evening at Messa Rink.

As was the case on Friday night against RPI, Brown dominated the beginning of the game, while building an 8-4 advantage in shots on goal during the opening 13 minutes. Union had the first chance, a short-handed breakaway by Andrew Buote, that freshman Marco DeFilippo (Auronzo Di Cadore, Italy) easily saved. The other four Union shots were all from outside, as the Bears' defense did a good job pushing the Dutchmen to the perimeter.

Following the short-handed bid for Union, Brown had its first grade-A scoring chance about 3:30 into the game when junior Jarred Smith (Pepper Pike, OH) collected the puck in the neutral zone and dished it to freshman Mark Hourihan (Lynnfield, MA) as the duo looked to convert a give-and-go on a two-on-one rush. Hourihan fed Smith perfectly at the left side, but Smith's one-timer from the slot was saved by Keith Kinkaid, who had slid over just in time.

With Brown still carrying the pace of play in the 14th minute, Union went up on its first power play chance of the game and the momentum immediately shifted towards the host's favor. DeFilippo made a pair of saves early in the man-advantage, but John Simpson beat the rookie goalie, glove-side with a shot from the slot, after collecting the puck from Wayne Simpson and Greg Coburn 36 seconds into the power play.

Trailing, 1-0, after the first period, the Bears tied the score at 1-1 just 18 seconds into the second period when Maclellan collected the puck from sophomore Chris Zaires (Aberdeen, NJ) low in the slot and beat Kinkaid with a back-hander for his 14th goal and 30th point of the year.

However, Union regained the one-goal lead just 4:10 later, when Adam Presizniuk stole the puck from the Bears' defense at the blueline and beat DeFilippo on an unassisted shot from the right circle for his seventh goal of the year at 4:28.

After killing the second power play opportunity for the Dutchmen, senior Harry Zolnierczyk (Toronto, ONT) broke into the zone on what could have been a Brown icing. He beat the two Union defensemen and then got around Kinkaid, but his shot from the left post sailed across behind Kinkaid and across the crease, and the score remained, 2-1, in favor of Union midway through the period.

Union increased its lead to 3-1 at 10:53 when Justin Pallos beat DeFilippo after a scrum in front with the assist going to Andrew Buote. Following the goal, junior Mike Clemente (Great Falls, VA) replaced DeFilippo in goal, but just 1:04 later, the Dutchmen had a 4-1 lead after Presizniuk put away a Matt Hatch rebound for his second goal of the night.

Brown got one back at 8:58 of the third when junior Bobby Farnham (North Andover, MA) converted a give-and-go with Smith. Freshman Mike Juola (Lake Forest, CA) chipped the puck out of the zone ahead for Farnham. With Smith on his right, the duo worked the puck into the zone and Farnham took a final pass from Smith, before beating Kinkaid with a wrist shot from the slot for his fifth goal of the season.

Brown pulled Clemente in favor of the extra attacker with 50 seconds later, but was unable to pull any closer, as the Bears dropped their third straight game.

DeFilippo recorded 12 saves in 30:43, while Clemente stopped 15 in the final 28:17. Kinkaid made 26 for the Dutchmen. The Bears have a quick turnaround before their next game, as they return home to host Harvard on Wednesday evening at 7:00. Brown will complete the Dartmouth half of the travel pairing on Friday night with a 7:00 p.m. home game against the Big Green.